Garment hangers having information clips have been previously known and used. U.S. Pat. No. 4,115,940, for example, discloses a molded plastic garment hanger which includes a web-like clip-mounting member which exposes a single edge onto which an information clip may be secured. The information clip of the hanger disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,115,940 is intended to be easily removable and therefore the hanger offers no element or feature to prevent or discourage information clip removal. Other disclosures of information clips for garment hangers include U.S. Pat. No. 3,949,914 issued Apr. 13, 1976; U.S. Pat. No. 244,197 issued May 3, 1977; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,997,114 issued Mar. 5, 1991.
Such easily removable information clips are quite satisfactory for appropriate applications. However, in view of the small size of such clips, which may be readily swallowed, and with increased concerns about child safety, especially when such garment hangers are taken home with the purchased garment, it becomes important to provide a garment hanger which prevents the accidental removal of secured information clips. Also, where such clips may provide price information, it is desirable to prevent even intentional removal, to minimize possible fraudulent interchange of clips.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,096,101 and 5,199,608 both disclose garment hangers having lockable information clips. The garment hangers disclosed in these two patents include elements which discourage, but do not prevent, removal of a secured information clip. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the present drawings (labeled "prior art"), a commercially available and commonly used U-shaped information clip 10 is shown having a front surface 12, integrally formed side walls 14 and 16, and corresponding locking fingers, respectively, 18 and 20. Each side wall 14, 16 defines a lower edge 22, 24, outer surfaces 14a, 16a and inner surfaces 14b, 16b, respectively. The locking fingers 18, 20 are located along the inner surface 14b, 16b, respectively, and run the length of the information clip 10. An insertion channel 25 is defined by the two side walls 14, 16, between the lower edges thereof 22, 24.
These prior art information clips 10 are usually manufactured by an extrusion process using a resilient plastic such as PVC or Nylon. The resulting extruded information clip stock is then cut to a desired length (between 3/4 and 1 inch) for each clip. Any information indicia, such as the size of a particular garment, may be printed on the front surface 12 and/or the outer surfaces 14a, 16a of the sidewalls 14, 16, using any conventional lettering transfer or printing technique.
Referring to FIG. 2 (labeled "prior art"), a prior art clip holder 30 is shown in cross-section with a secured prior art information clip 10. The prior art clip holder 30 includes a securing ridge 32 and a concealing ridge 34. The prior art information clip 10 is held to the prior art clip holder 30 by the engagement of each of the inwardly directed locking fingers 18, 20 (of each inner surface 14b, 16b) with a respective shoulder on the securing ridge 32. The side walls 14, 16 are resilient when they are displaced from a relaxed position. The material used and the shape of the information clip 10 allows the side walls to be displaced from each other, against the inherent resiliency of the clip 10.
As the prior art information clip 10 is pushed onto the securing ridge 32 and the insertion channel 25 advances along the prior art clip holder 30, the locking fingers 18, 20 will first contact the securing ridge 32. Further advance of the information clip 10 forces the two side walls 14, 16 apart, sufficiently to allow the locking fingers 18, 20 to clear the securing ridge 32. Once clear, the locking fingers 18, 20 will engage the shoulder on the inner edge of the securing ridge 32 and the side walls 14, 16 will move back to their relaxed position (as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 (Prior Art)). This natural resiliency of the information clip 10 ensures tight engagement with the securing ridge 32.
The information clip 10 may be removed from the securing ridge 32 by pulling the side walls 14, 16 apart with respect to each other, (as illustrated by the arrows 26 in FIG. 2 (prior art)), against the inherent resiliency urging them to the relaxed position, sufficiently for each respective locking finger 18, 20 to clear a respective portion of the securing ridge 32. This prior art structure discourages, but does not prevent the removal of the information clip 10 by somewhat inhibiting access to the lower edges 22, 24 of the side walls 14, 16, by the concealing ridges 34. In doing so, it becomes only difficult, yet not at all impossible, to pull either side wall 14, 16 sufficiently apart to remove the information clip 10 from the clip holder 30 of the prior art.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a garment hanger adapted to receive an information clip and both discourage and prevent its accidental and/or intentional removal from the hanger.